NO LYMPHOMA!!!
Yay Mom.
I love you!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL NEWS…March 9, 2012
Yesterday, my dear friend, Tara Kelley-Baker, picked me up and took me to Mercy to begin the 5th cycle of chemotherapy with only one more cycle to go in April. We had a great time getting there with very little traffic. Her Honda cruised along – and since we hadn’t had time to talk very much these last few weeks because of her very hectic schedule at PIRE, we had a great chance to catch up. We were having such a great time together that it wasn’t until I was actually getting out of the car that I realized I was at Mercy for a treatment!
We got our Starbucks coffees and went up to the 4th floor, registered – and proceeded to get comfy in the chairs outside of the unit. I went over to the physician’s area to submit some laboratory work to Dr. Ledakis that had been done in my internist’s office in February. Even though I called well in advance, the rather inept office staff didn’t have me on today’s schedule for an office visit. Obviously, I was very anxious to hear the results of the CT scan I had on March 1 – the one which will determine how much the mass has reduced after four cycles of chemo. We tried and tried to get even a few minutes of his time, to no avail. He had already gone downstairs to see his radiation patients on the lower level – and wasn’t expected back until after my treatment was over, so I had to settle for an appointment tomorrow.
Tara and I made good use of our time – and Tara brought a fantastic and very healthy lunch of tuna salad and lots of great veggies. Thanks to Matthew, Tara’s wonderful husband, I also had Coca Cola and potato chips!
This morning, Patty Wilcoxson picked me up and we scurried off to Mercy. Since the second day is usually a little shorter than the first (only one pre-chemo drug to infuse), we made sure that my nurse was aware that I needed to see Dr. Ledakis. The Outpatient Chemotherapy unit is trying desperately to transform itself. They have attempted to be more efficient with the patient’s time, but they’re not quite there yet. They realize that an enormous amount of time is wasted between your arrival and actually beginning the treatment. My appointment is for 9:30 today. It is almost 10:30 before we actually go into the unit for treatment. Since laboratory work is done on your first day, you don’t have to repeat it on the second day – so that should be time saved; however, depending upon the number of patients waiting, it can be another hour or hour and a half before your treatment begins, as your chemotherapy is not prepared (mixed) until you are actually sitting there. The chemo drugs have a very short lifespan and must be infused within two hours of mixing.
My nurse today is very aware of my need to see Dr. Ledakis – so she checks in with his staff almost every half hour to make sure he knows I’m anxious to see him. Finally, as I’m nearing the end of the treatment, a tech comes over to escort me, Patty and the infuser to the office.
Dr. Ledakis – generally very enthusiastic about how well my treatments are going – is unusually animated today! He’s full of smiles as he explains that the CT scan shows that the clonal cell mass has reduced by more than 80% and my blood work shows very little lymphoma present! Of course, I will have to finish the prescribed number of cycles, so we schedule the sixth cycle for the beginning of April. And, he says that I should have another CT scan in June, as well as the dreaded bone marrow scan and biopsy to determine if the lymphoma is still in my bone marrow. My original diagnosis is Low Grade B-Cell Lymphoma. Unfortunately, it will come back – but that might be in 3 or 4 years. If the bone marrow is still positive, there may be additional treatment necessary to keep the lymphoma in remission for the first year.
I asked about returning to work – and he was hesitant about it. He asked about the number of naps I require daily – and when I replied, he said he thought I wasn’t quite ready; however, if I thought I could go into the office for two-hours and actually leave after two hours, it would be okay – perhaps one or two days a week to start. He felt I still needed time at home to recuperate and that I shouldn’t rush it and that I should listen carefully to my body not to over exert since I’m still in a vulnerable state. He maintained his position on my not visiting any hospital facilities (or semi-hospital, i.e., the nursing home to see my Mother). However, he stressed that vacations away from home were important to rest and increase my stamina as well as keeping up with my medication and supplements prescribed by my internist, Dr. Ross.
Although I have completed the infusions of Treanda at the hospital, the completion of the cycle includes the self-injection of the post-chemo drug, Neupogen, for the next four days.
In the words of PIRE’s Founder, Dr. Allan Cohen -- Onward and upward!
We got our Starbucks coffees and went up to the 4th floor, registered – and proceeded to get comfy in the chairs outside of the unit. I went over to the physician’s area to submit some laboratory work to Dr. Ledakis that had been done in my internist’s office in February. Even though I called well in advance, the rather inept office staff didn’t have me on today’s schedule for an office visit. Obviously, I was very anxious to hear the results of the CT scan I had on March 1 – the one which will determine how much the mass has reduced after four cycles of chemo. We tried and tried to get even a few minutes of his time, to no avail. He had already gone downstairs to see his radiation patients on the lower level – and wasn’t expected back until after my treatment was over, so I had to settle for an appointment tomorrow.
Tara and I made good use of our time – and Tara brought a fantastic and very healthy lunch of tuna salad and lots of great veggies. Thanks to Matthew, Tara’s wonderful husband, I also had Coca Cola and potato chips!
This morning, Patty Wilcoxson picked me up and we scurried off to Mercy. Since the second day is usually a little shorter than the first (only one pre-chemo drug to infuse), we made sure that my nurse was aware that I needed to see Dr. Ledakis. The Outpatient Chemotherapy unit is trying desperately to transform itself. They have attempted to be more efficient with the patient’s time, but they’re not quite there yet. They realize that an enormous amount of time is wasted between your arrival and actually beginning the treatment. My appointment is for 9:30 today. It is almost 10:30 before we actually go into the unit for treatment. Since laboratory work is done on your first day, you don’t have to repeat it on the second day – so that should be time saved; however, depending upon the number of patients waiting, it can be another hour or hour and a half before your treatment begins, as your chemotherapy is not prepared (mixed) until you are actually sitting there. The chemo drugs have a very short lifespan and must be infused within two hours of mixing.
My nurse today is very aware of my need to see Dr. Ledakis – so she checks in with his staff almost every half hour to make sure he knows I’m anxious to see him. Finally, as I’m nearing the end of the treatment, a tech comes over to escort me, Patty and the infuser to the office.
Dr. Ledakis – generally very enthusiastic about how well my treatments are going – is unusually animated today! He’s full of smiles as he explains that the CT scan shows that the clonal cell mass has reduced by more than 80% and my blood work shows very little lymphoma present! Of course, I will have to finish the prescribed number of cycles, so we schedule the sixth cycle for the beginning of April. And, he says that I should have another CT scan in June, as well as the dreaded bone marrow scan and biopsy to determine if the lymphoma is still in my bone marrow. My original diagnosis is Low Grade B-Cell Lymphoma. Unfortunately, it will come back – but that might be in 3 or 4 years. If the bone marrow is still positive, there may be additional treatment necessary to keep the lymphoma in remission for the first year.
I asked about returning to work – and he was hesitant about it. He asked about the number of naps I require daily – and when I replied, he said he thought I wasn’t quite ready; however, if I thought I could go into the office for two-hours and actually leave after two hours, it would be okay – perhaps one or two days a week to start. He felt I still needed time at home to recuperate and that I shouldn’t rush it and that I should listen carefully to my body not to over exert since I’m still in a vulnerable state. He maintained his position on my not visiting any hospital facilities (or semi-hospital, i.e., the nursing home to see my Mother). However, he stressed that vacations away from home were important to rest and increase my stamina as well as keeping up with my medication and supplements prescribed by my internist, Dr. Ross.
Although I have completed the infusions of Treanda at the hospital, the completion of the cycle includes the self-injection of the post-chemo drug, Neupogen, for the next four days.
In the words of PIRE’s Founder, Dr. Allan Cohen -- Onward and upward!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Fourth Round of Chemotherapy
Time speeds by. It is still difficult to believe that I'm now ending the fourth round of chemotherapy and I apologize to all of you who have been waiting for a new post on the blog.
The last two days at Mercy Medical Center's Outpatient Chemotherapy have gone very well. [Thank you so much, Patty Wilcoxson, for the transport to and from and your delightful and always upbeat company throughout]. It is always very difficult to determine just how long the treatments will take. My appointed arrival was scheduled for 9:30; however, I didn't actually enter the treatment room until almost 11:00. By the time we got the laboratory work completed and my chemotherapy was delivered, it was well after 1:00. There are a couple of pre-chemo drugs given. Well, we finally got out of there at 3:30...and unbelievably long time when you consider that the drugs themselves take only 1 1/2 hours.
I had an appointment with Dr. Ledakis on Thursday just before the chemo session. He continues to be very positive about my progress. He was disappointed to hear that during the procedure on January 17 to remove the stent, Dr. Silber decided that the inflammation around the kidney was still too sufficient to remove it - and so he inserted a new one, which has to remain in place for another three months.
The good news is that we've scheduled another full body CT scan for March 1. That will determine, hopefully, more shrinkage in the mass of lympatic cells. We are already beginning to see good response to the chemotherapy and Dr. Ledakis confirmed that he feels six rounds of chemo should be sufficient. Of course, he cautions that, although highly unlikely, I may need some follow-up sessions.
I began the post-chemo injections today and will continue those for the next three days.
Thank you, dear, dear family and friends for your phone calls, notes of encouragement, and especially Janet Jester's chocolates which ALWAYS make the chemotherapy sessions go easier!
The last two days at Mercy Medical Center's Outpatient Chemotherapy have gone very well. [Thank you so much, Patty Wilcoxson, for the transport to and from and your delightful and always upbeat company throughout]. It is always very difficult to determine just how long the treatments will take. My appointed arrival was scheduled for 9:30; however, I didn't actually enter the treatment room until almost 11:00. By the time we got the laboratory work completed and my chemotherapy was delivered, it was well after 1:00. There are a couple of pre-chemo drugs given. Well, we finally got out of there at 3:30...and unbelievably long time when you consider that the drugs themselves take only 1 1/2 hours.
I had an appointment with Dr. Ledakis on Thursday just before the chemo session. He continues to be very positive about my progress. He was disappointed to hear that during the procedure on January 17 to remove the stent, Dr. Silber decided that the inflammation around the kidney was still too sufficient to remove it - and so he inserted a new one, which has to remain in place for another three months.
The good news is that we've scheduled another full body CT scan for March 1. That will determine, hopefully, more shrinkage in the mass of lympatic cells. We are already beginning to see good response to the chemotherapy and Dr. Ledakis confirmed that he feels six rounds of chemo should be sufficient. Of course, he cautions that, although highly unlikely, I may need some follow-up sessions.
I began the post-chemo injections today and will continue those for the next three days.
Thank you, dear, dear family and friends for your phone calls, notes of encouragement, and especially Janet Jester's chocolates which ALWAYS make the chemotherapy sessions go easier!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, December 15 - In Hospital - Day 3
This is going to be a restful day. There are only a few things on my agenda – the post-chemo injection and a venous Doppler study to determine if I have a blood clot since my right leg is fairly swollen for no apparent reason. We find out that there is – luckily – no blood clot, so we believe that the swelling is residual fluid build-up from the IVs.
Patty & Steve Wilcoxson arrived mid-afternoon for a visit. Great to see both of them – as always. I can’t say enough about good friends who make the time to visit. It means so much to me.
I’ll be going home tonight and I can’t wait for George to spring me out of here. Bunny (Phynes) has climbed down from the IV infuser and is all packed and ready to go!
Patty & Steve Wilcoxson arrived mid-afternoon for a visit. Great to see both of them – as always. I can’t say enough about good friends who make the time to visit. It means so much to me.
I’ll be going home tonight and I can’t wait for George to spring me out of here. Bunny (Phynes) has climbed down from the IV infuser and is all packed and ready to go!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 - In Hospital - Day 2
Today went well. Tara (Kelley-Baker) arrived with lots of snacks to spend the day and we had a great time chatting. I also had the wonderful chocolates that Janet Jester sent - thank you so much, Janet!
I finished the chemotherapy regime for the day. Dr. Ledakis has ordered a CT scan to determine if there has been any change in the mass. He is also concerned that I am only receiving one of the two drugs for this chemo regimen – so he will be discussing that with his team and my internist, Dr. Warren Ross. (Dr. Ledakis says that he wouldn't administer Rituxin again unless I was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)).
We also decided to change the post-chemo therapy from Neulasta to Neupogen. Neuopogen is administered in three daily injections, so I can have one injection before I leave the hospital and come back to the hospital for the following two days. Neupogen may not have the same adverse affects (severe bone pain) that I had with Neulasta.
FANTASTIC NEWS from Dr. Ledakis. The CT scan showed that the mass has reduced by almost 50%. This is wonderful news and means that the chemotherapy is working. After letting the family know, I shared the news with Bernie (Murphy) who shared it with those attending the Calverton Holiday Party (see photo).
I finished the chemotherapy regime for the day. Dr. Ledakis has ordered a CT scan to determine if there has been any change in the mass. He is also concerned that I am only receiving one of the two drugs for this chemo regimen – so he will be discussing that with his team and my internist, Dr. Warren Ross. (Dr. Ledakis says that he wouldn't administer Rituxin again unless I was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)).
We also decided to change the post-chemo therapy from Neulasta to Neupogen. Neuopogen is administered in three daily injections, so I can have one injection before I leave the hospital and come back to the hospital for the following two days. Neupogen may not have the same adverse affects (severe bone pain) that I had with Neulasta.
FANTASTIC NEWS from Dr. Ledakis. The CT scan showed that the mass has reduced by almost 50%. This is wonderful news and means that the chemotherapy is working. After letting the family know, I shared the news with Bernie (Murphy) who shared it with those attending the Calverton Holiday Party (see photo).
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 - In Hospital - Day 1
I checked into Mercy Hospital today for my second round of chemotherapy. Because I had an allergic reaction to the Rituxin during my first round, Dr. Ledakis wanted me in the hospital so that I could be monitored more closely. Patty Wilcoxson met George & I at Mercy this morning at 8:30 AM in the Admitting Office. It was a great comfort to have her there with me. Patty always arrives with lots of presents – this visit included a beautiful silver clutch and very festive holiday jewelry which lights up J.
The hospital room in the Mary Catherine Bunting Building is quite lovely – it’s a private room and bath and it has a long, low sofa (which folds out if a guest wanted to stay overnight) and a recliner chair where I set up my laptop. My room (#1517) over looks downtown Baltimore and is truly breathtaking at night. Patty pointed out a few historic sights – it’s amazing what I don’t know about Baltimore! All of the nurses on the floor are wonderful. Mercy is quite proud of its Institute for Cancer Care sections and the 15th floor is devoted to patients with cancer. A very charming ‘educator’ arrived and introduced herself – giving me all sorts of information about what to expect over the next few days.
The nurses outfitted me with a heart monitor and began the chemotherapy regimen with innumerable pre-chemo drugs to alleviate allergies, gastric reflux and nausea. Unfortunately, once they began the dreaded Rituxin, it only took ten minutes for the allergic reaction to begin – so, once again we were forced to eliminate that drug. Once we had my allergic reaction under control, they began chemo drug #2 (Treanda). When you have an allergic reaction, there are a number of drugs infused to flush out the one that’s causing the reaction. One of those - Solu-Medrol – caused my blood sugar to spike to 440! They treated that with an injection of insulin which lowered the blood sugar count to 246…still too high, but better than 440.
Exhausted from the day, I slept well that night.
The hospital room in the Mary Catherine Bunting Building is quite lovely – it’s a private room and bath and it has a long, low sofa (which folds out if a guest wanted to stay overnight) and a recliner chair where I set up my laptop. My room (#1517) over looks downtown Baltimore and is truly breathtaking at night. Patty pointed out a few historic sights – it’s amazing what I don’t know about Baltimore! All of the nurses on the floor are wonderful. Mercy is quite proud of its Institute for Cancer Care sections and the 15th floor is devoted to patients with cancer. A very charming ‘educator’ arrived and introduced herself – giving me all sorts of information about what to expect over the next few days.
The nurses outfitted me with a heart monitor and began the chemotherapy regimen with innumerable pre-chemo drugs to alleviate allergies, gastric reflux and nausea. Unfortunately, once they began the dreaded Rituxin, it only took ten minutes for the allergic reaction to begin – so, once again we were forced to eliminate that drug. Once we had my allergic reaction under control, they began chemo drug #2 (Treanda). When you have an allergic reaction, there are a number of drugs infused to flush out the one that’s causing the reaction. One of those - Solu-Medrol – caused my blood sugar to spike to 440! They treated that with an injection of insulin which lowered the blood sugar count to 246…still too high, but better than 440.
Exhausted from the day, I slept well that night.
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